In the Kingdom of Bhutan, a country in south-central Asia about the size of West Virginia and Maryland combined, access to mental health care is scarce. There is only one full-time, Bhutan-born psychiatrist in its population of just under 800,000 people.

Mental health is a well-established concept within Bhutan’s unique focus on the well-being of its citizens known as Gross National Happiness. Resources for those with mental health challenges in Bhutan have become a national priority over the past ten years, and Dr. Kurt Kraus, profes-sor of counseling, has been an integral part of the conversation.